Nature's Heir
by Ghosts of the Past
Summary: What if Nod had a best friend who was also a leafmen, or in this case a leafwoman. Tarina grew up along side Nod for most of her life until Nod's father was killed. They meet again when they both sign up to join the Leafmen. Follows the events a little before the movie, during the movie, and after the movie. Some maybe M-rated. Better summary inside.
1. Time Before

**What if Nod had a best friend who was also a leafmen, or in this case a leafwoman. Tarina grew up along side Nod for most of her life until Nod's father was killed. They meet again when they both sign up to join the Leafmen. Tarina and Nod know each other like the back of their hand. So what happens after the events of 'Epic'?  
**

**Well we know what happens for Queen Tara and General Ronin, but what if before 'Epic' they had a child. She grows up not knowing who she really is and well, things turn her life upside down when she finds out. It's a journey of self-discovery as well as romance and hurt/comfort and family. The thing she craves the most.  
**

**I hope you enjoy the story.**

* * *

**Third P.O.V**

"Tarina,"_ A voice shouts out. A teenage boy with brown hair was racing after a girl with dark brown, nearly black, hair. The girl, Tarina, had a huge smile on her face and was laughing as she ran._

_ "Hurry up Nod, or we're going to miss it." Tarina shouts over her shoulder. She jumps up onto a leaf and then onto a low hanging branch. Only then does she stop to look over her shoulder to see where her friend was._

_ "Slow do will you?" Nod said, nearly out of breath. Tarina rolled her eyes._

_ "You're really slow aren't you?" Tarina asked raising an eyebrow. Nod looked over to his friend._

_ "Are you crazy? I was just giving you a head start." Nod said. Tarina rolled her eyes._

_ "Yeah right," Tarina jumps off the branch and starts running away from Nod again. They ran past the stream that cut Moonhaven in half, past several homes and past a few leafmen on their hummingbirds. _

_ "Come on, Nod." Tarina calls out again. Nod shakes his head. He races after his friend once more._

* * *

Nod was sitting down on a rock, looking down at his hands. He smirked at the random memory of his best friend. Of course that was years ago. He had stopped seeing Tarina years ago, after his father died. He hadn't seen her since. That was until he saw her in the leafmen recruit center.

He had walked up to her and asked what she was doing there. He remembered her smiling at him and saying 'Why can't I join? Afraid I'll hurt your pride?' She teased him. Nod didn't think anything of it until General Ronin walked up to them and asked her for her name.

"Tarina, sir." General Ronin, he remembered, had grimaced slightly after hearing her name.

"Thank you." General Ronin turned to leave after saying thank you. Nod looked over to his old best friend. Tarina shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea who he was or what their whole conversation had been about.

"I'll see you around Nod." She said before walking off. Nod waved his hand and smiled. It was nice to see a familiar face on the first day.

* * *

"Nod!" A voice called out from above. Nod looked up and saw Tarina on her hummingbird.

"Where have you been? General Ronin is gonna kill you. Where's your bird?" Tarina asked. She swooped down to get closer to her friend.

"I kind of lost him." Nod said with a sheepish smile. Tarina rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Again? Why am I not surprised?" Tarina asked. Nod shrugged his shoulders.

"Because I'm me." Nod said. Tarina pressed her lips together and let out a sigh.

"Find a bird. General Ronin wants to go over the plan for today's ceremony. Queen Tara is choosing her heir and General Ronin-" Nod cut his friend off.

"I don't care what Ronin has to say. I'm quitting." Nod said standing up on the rock. Tarina rolled her eyes.

"You've said that before." She said taking off her helmet, placing it in front of her.

"I'm serious this time Tar. I'm not cut out to be a leafman." Tarina sensed the seriousness in her friend's voice. She perched her bird on the nearby rock and slid off.

"Yes you are. Even General Ronin says so. Nod-" Tarina was once again cut off by her friend.

"You don't get it. That's all he thinks I've got going for me. It's not what I want." Nod said before storming off. Tarina would normally go after him but she had to report back to Moonhaven. She looked over her shoulder before mounting and saw her friend's retreating figure becoming smaller and smaller.

Tarina was soon back with the rest of her Fighter Group.

"Tarina," A familiar voice called out. Tarina slid off her bird and looked in the direction of the voice. It was General Ronin.

"Sir," Tarina said as she walked over to the stern General.

"Come with me." Was all he said before walking away. Tarina was close on his heels. They walked down a hallway with moss walls before stopping in front of a closed fern door. General Ronin removed his helmet and Tarina followed suit.

"Queen Tara, we need to discus today's ceremony." General Ronin said once they entered. They both knelt in front of Queen Tara who was standing in the distance.

"The Boggans have crossed our boarder again." General Ronin said. Queen Tara walked up to a small purple morning glory that was closed. The flower turned towards the Queen.

"You're not getting enough sunshine." The Queen said touching the flower.

"Yes it's Ronin." The Queen said as though the flower could talk back. She looked out of the corner of her eye and continued to talk to the flower.

"Well, I think he looks silly kneeling, too, but I can't get him to stop doing it." The flower looked up at the Queen and Queen Tara just smiled. General Ronin looked up. He was trying to warn the Queen of the potential danger of today's ceremony.

"I think the Boggans are scouting our defenses." General Ronin stood up but Tarina stayed kneeling.

"You know they'd do anything to stop you from choosing an heir. But don't worry I've got a plan." General Ronin said. Tarina looked up at her commanding officer.

"When we were kids he wasn't so serious." Queen Tara said, still talking to the flower. Tarina looked back down at the ground. She hadn't really been aware of General Ronin and Queen Tara knowing each other as kids.

"Would you like to hear my plan?" General Ronin said, slightly getting agitated with Queen Tara.

"And he had the sweetest smile." The Queen said almost pouting at the flower. General Ronin walked up to the Queen, completely forgetting about Tarina.

"Look instead of a public ceremony, I go in with a small platoon, pretend we're stopping for a drink. We grab a pod, bring it back to you. It blooms, the life of the forest continues. We're in, we're out." General Ronin explained. Queen Tara smiled and laughed gentle at him. She shook her head.

"It doesn't work that way." She stroked the morning glory before taking a few steps away from the small bud. "I can't choose unless I'm there. It's about the feeling. I get it from the pods, I get from the forest, I get it from all of us." Queen Tara looked up at the full grown flowers and pushing them away to let the sunlight in. She walked away but looked over her shoulder.

"Don't you have feelings Ronin?" Queen Tara questioned with a playful smile on her lips. General Ronin walked after her but she was gone.

"Yes, I feel this is a bad idea." The General said looking around for the Queen. "The Boggans have never been this aggressive." General Ronin warned. What he didn't notice, but Tarina did, was a flower vine coiling around his body.

It quickly tightened around General Ronin's body, picked him up and placed him right in front of Queen Tara.

"I'm not completely helpless, you know." Queen Tara said, her back facing her General. General Ronin sighed and looked down at the vine still growing and crawling up to his face.

"I am aware." The General said looking up at the Queen. "But you're the life of the forest. Looking after you is my duty." Queen Tara had slowly turned around.

"Is that the only reason you do it?" The Queen questioned, stepping closer to her childhood friend.

"Isn't that reason enough?" The General said with a raised eyebrow.

"If that's the only reason there is." The Queen said stepping closer. General Ronin's voice was strained in his response.

"Your Majesty," The Queen smiled.

"Yes," General Ronin had then caught onto her trick as he felt the vine brush under his ear.

"I'm not ticklish." The General said with a smirk on his face. The Queen pulled away.

"Oh," She said laughing. "You used to be!" Queen Tara ha a smile on her face before she sighed. She looked over to her General.

"Very well. I understand your concern," Queen Tara said as she released her General from his constraints. "But this is the one day in a hundred years that I can to choose an heir." Queen Tara started to walk away. "If I don't do this today, there won't be a future to protect."

Queen Tara stopped when she noticed Tarina still kneeling.

"Who is this?" She asked. Tarina felt more nervous than ever. She had never been in the presence of the Queen.

"Tarina, Your Majesty." Tarina said. Her voice was soft but loud enough for Queen Tara to hear.

"Queen Tara," General Ronin called out. Tarina's head was still facing the ground so she didn't notice the General motioning the Queen away from her.

"I haven't told her yet." General Ronin said in a hushed tone. Queen Tara looked over to the kneeling leafwoman.

"Rise Tarina." The Queen said. Tarina did as she was ordered and stood before Queen Tara. Queen Tara looked at Tarina, tears started to form as Queen Tara looked up and down at the leafwoman.

"Tarina," The Queen whispered out. Tarina looked at the Queen and then back to her Commanding Officer. Tears started to form at the corners of Queen Tara eyes. Queen Tara's hand covered her mouth. General Ronin placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort the Queen.

Tarina looked back and forth. She was so confused as they why the Queen was crying.

"Come here child," The Queen called out. Tarina walked towards the Queen. The Queen looked at Tarina once more and a small tear escaped from Queen Tara's eye.

"Oh, Ronin," The Queen whimpered out. She turned back to her General. General Ronin wrapped his arms around his beloved Queen. General Ronin looked back over his shoulder at Tarina.

"You are dismissed Solider." Tarina bowed and slowly left. She was left confused by what her simple presence did to the Queen. She tried to shake it off as she walked down the hall and back out to where her bird was perched.

* * *

"Ronin, she's beautiful." Queen Tara said, tears were falling now. General Ronin tried to hold back his composer but it too was slowly falling away. This was the first time Queen Tara had laid eyes on her daughter; their daughter.

"I know, she's so much like you and me." General Ronin said. He placed a hand under her chin and gently forced her to look at him.

"She reminds me so much of you." General Ronin said. "She spends a lot of her time with Nora's kid. You remember Nod?" General Ronin asks. Queen Tara nodded her head.

Nora was a friend of her's before she even became Queen. Nora was the wife of Colin, General Ronin's best friend. Sadly Colin was killed several years ago. Since then General Ronin had stepped in to take care of Nod. Nora was completely distraught over he loss over her husband.

"How is he?" Queen Tara asked about Nod. General Ronin sighed.

"Just like his father, always getting into trouble." General Ronin said. Queen Tara offered a weak smile.

"Tarina," Queen Tara whispered out once more. She loved the feeling of saying her daughter's name on her tongue.

"They say she was named after you. In honor of the Queen." General Ronin said.

He remembered the night when he had to leave her on their doorsteps. The elder couple in his hometown had no children of their own. He had always overheard them talking about wanting a child. So he left her in their care. When he came back to visit his hometown he asked about the elder couple and their 'Daughter'. The Jinn there said "It's a tragic story really. The child's mother died and the father left her at their doorsteps. No one knows who she is but she bares a strikingly similar resemblance to our Queen. Don't you think Captain?"

General Ronin was a Captain at the time when he was forced to leave her. But he had to agree she did look a lot like his beloved Queen. He inquired what her name was. "They named her Tarina. A variation on Queen Tara's name." A local Jinn informed him.

General Ronin grins softly at the memory. A bittersweet one at that.

"I can't wait to tell her." Queen Tara said. "Ronin I'm so nervous. How do I tell her? How do we tell her?" Queen Tara asked. General Ronin shrugged his shoulder.

"I honestly have no idea." General Ronin confessed. Queen Tara smiled and shook her head. This was the moment she had been dreaming about ever since she was forced to give up her child. But now that the moment was here she was terrified. She didn't know what to do.

"I'm nervous." Queen Tara confessed. General Ronin cracked a small smile.

"So am I. Don't worry. I'm always here for you." General Ronin said. He stayed with her for a few more minutes before excusing himself. He need to go check in with his men before the ceremony started.

He walked down the hall, his mind still on his Queen and on his daughter. How was he going to break the news to Tarina. Along side Nod, he had taken her under his wing. But she would think that he was crazy if he told her he was her real father.

* * *

**Please don't forget to leave a review if you liked the beginning of the story. **


	2. A Storm on the Horizon

**Here's the second Chapter. I hope you like. If you see the name Torin accidentally, his name is actually Finn. So sorry about that. **

**I hope you enjoy the story.**

* * *

**Third P.O.V**

"Look out, look out!" A voice shouted out. General Ronin and his second-in-command, Lieutenant General Finn, turned around and saw a brown barn owl flapping its wings as it tried to find solid air.

"Here comes your star pupil." Lieutenant General Finn said. General Ronin glared slightly at his second-in-command. He shook his head and walked towards Nod, who by now had perched his 'Bird'.

"Where have you been?" General Ronin asked in a harsh voice. Nod looked at General Ronin like he was crazy.

"Wait you're mad?" Nod asked. "You told me to get back and I'm back, on this." Nod said point back to his owl. The owl looked around. General Ronin looked at the barn owl and shook his head.

"And you want credit for that?" General Ronin said. He was fed up with Nod's antics. "You're late. Find a real bird and get back to your group." General Ronin said before turning around, heading for his bird.

"You know what? No." Nod said throwing his hands up into the air. General Ronin snapped back around to face Nod.

"What did you say?" General Ronin's voice was raised. Which was never a good sign. Tarina wasn't far off when she overheard General Ronin's raising voice. She looked over her shoulder from her assigned position in the parade.

'Oh no,' Tarina thought when she saw what was happening.

"I'm not doing it." Nod said walking away from General Ronin. "I'm not a kid anymore and I'm tired of you treating me like one." Nod walked towards his owl. Tarina was tempted to run over and try to smooth everything out with the two of them.

"I'm trying to help you, I'm trying to look out for you." General Ronin said in a harsh but hushed tone.

"I never asked you to do that." Nod complained. General Ronin's face grew stern.

"Your father did." At that Nod didn't know what to say. His father was always a touchy subject and Tarina knew that. She winced slightly after seeing her best friend's reaction.

"Well you can stop." Nod said. "I absolve you of all further responsibility in the raising of young Nod." He said walking back to his bird.

"Don't walk away from me. I-I'm your commanding officer!" General Ronin said pathetically. Lieutenant General Torin looked over to his superior officer. A smile grin broke out onto his face.

"Not anymore. I quit! Hyah." Nod said. He had mounted his owl and flew away. "Whoa! Thatta girl. Easy, easy!"

"What are you looking at?" General said after turning back around and spotting his second-in-command smiling.

"Nothing. I have no opinion on this." Lieutenant General Finn said quickly. He looked back to the soldiers waiting for the signal.

"Everyone, Mount up!" Lieutenant General Finn said as he started to walk over to his troops. General Ronin clenched his teeth together. He was annoyed with Nod, yes, but at the same time he felt like he failed his best friend. Colin.

Tarina had seen everything. She watched at Nod flew away on his owl. She felt sad for Nod. She knew that he was just acting out instead of thinking, a bad habit he had from when they were kids and it seemed he still held onto the bad habit.

"Tarina, you're flying with me." General Ronin said as he walked past Tarina's flying regiment. She nodded her head and followed him to the front of the parade.

* * *

She flew next to the General who in turn flew next to the Queen's flying barge. The ceremony had started and the whole thing was an elaborate affair. The Queen waved down at her subjects. They all cheered for their Queen.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her General surveying the grounds and air. The Queen shook her head and looked at her General.

"Parade. Fun. Smiling." The Queen reminded her General. The General cracked a very small smile, which Tarina noticed and then she broke out into a small smile. It was very rare to see her General smile. He was always so serious in events like this. It was like he never took a break.

The royal barge soon made it's way to Lake Sacred, other wise know as Pod Lake. As the royal barge landed the Queen gently on the water's surface, General Ronin and his forces took to the trees. They were not only just watching the Queen's movement, but they were also watching out for any potential Boggan attack. General Ronin was hoping for no attack but when a ceremony as important as this was happening he couldn't hope for too much.

Queen Tara stepped off of the lily pad and onto the water. But instead of sinking in the water, duckweed gathered around her footing and helped her walk on the water's surface. All the water lilies opened up as soon as the Queen walked by. She looked around at all the potential pods that she could choose from, but none of them felt right to her. She walked up to the Guardians of the Lake, who were goofing off when she got closer.

"Gentlemen," The Queen said softly. The Guardians froze. The slug had his hands on the snail's stomach and the snail felt extremely awkward.

"Hey, Your Majesty. Hello." The snail said rather awkwardly. The snail smoothed out his stomach and stood at attention.

"It's alright, relax. It's just me." The Queen said with a soft smile. "Mub, Grub. It's a very nice looking group of Pods." Queen Tara looked more carefully at the Pods.

"I might have a hard time picking one. Do you have a favorite?" The Queen asked looking back over to the Guardians.

"Well, Your Majesty," Grub started out. "We have had quiet the debate." Grub said laughing nervously.

"Really gone back and forth." Mub interjected.

"You'll note the carefully curated selection of sizes, density, color. With so many variables, you can't be too hasty." Grub advised. He failed to notice Mub go behind his back and pick up the Pod of his choice.

"Boom, right here. Biggest in the bunch." Mub said proudly. Grub looked nervous.

"Hm, well that's one way to go." Queen Tara said eying the over grown Pod. She looked around, over her shoulder and spotted a much smaller Pod. It was barely a bud but something about this Pod made the Queen want to choose it instead.

"How about that one?" The Queen pointed over to the smaller Pod. Mub looked at the Pod. He didn't really agree with the Queen choice.

"What, that one? For real?" Mub said jumping from one lily pad to the other. He got closer to the Pod the Queen choose and inspected it closer. "But it's so-" Mub started to say his protests but was cut off by Grub.

"Perfect. It's perfect." Grub quickly interjected. He grabbed a hold of the Pod the Queen wanted and nudged Mub out of the way.

"Excellent choice Your Majesty. Sometimes the biggest one isn't the best one." Grub said over his shoulder to the Queen. "I told you she doesn't like gaudy Mub, unlike you she's got _class_." Grub stressed out 'class' because he knew his friend barely had any.

Grub handed over the Pod to the Queen. The Queen looked down at the Pod in her hand, her heir, the future of the forest. A smile crept onto her face.

"This is it. This is the one." Queen Tara said before raising it above her head and holding it high in the air. She was showing her people their future.

* * *

After a few moments passed Queen Tara started to slowly walk back towards her royal barge. General Ronin, stilled mounted on his bird, was perched high above in the trees keeping a watchful eye on his Queen. He looked around to see if anything unusual was happening, that's when out of the corner of his eye he noticed the edge of a nearby leaf decaying.

"Boggans." Was all he said before knotting an arrow and pointing it behind. He released the arrow with great precision. Nothing happened for a few seconds but that didn't mean anything to him. Three other Leafmen knotted their arrows and pointed them in the direction their General had.

The hit Boggan, hidden under rotten tree bark, fell from his position. Thus he gave away his comrades' position. All of the sudden hundreds, if not thousands, of Boggans were soon jumping up ready to attack.

"Your Majesty," General Ronin shouted out. "Get to the boat."

Queen Tara looked up to where the voice had shouted out and saw what was happening. She did as she was told and ran, not waiting for the duckweed to gather under her foot once more.

Back up in the tree the Leafmen were facing an onslaught of Boggans. And even though they were greatly out numbered they continued to fight. Row after row of skilled archers jumped over one another to continue their line of defense. But there was only so much that the archers could do.

Tarina, who had just watched the whole scene unfold in front of her, was now flying down to protect the Queen. Her regiment was circling the Queen as she ran towards the barge. But things were not that easy.

A group of Boggans had jumped down from the tree above and were now attacking the dragonflies. Tarina's regiment, along with General Ronin were now trying to shoot down all the Boggans, but it was hopeless; they were greatly out numbered. Tarina was knocked down from her bird but she didn't give up with out a fight. She gave him a hard right hook and kicked him off of her. The Boggan glared at her decided to continue the fight.

"Ronin!" Queen Tara shouted out. General Ronin had been knocked off of his bird and plunged into the Lake's water. Now the Queen was left stranded on the lily pad. But as she had once said to her General, she was not completely helpless.

Queen Tara saw the Pods disappearing under the water, as the Boggans had pulled them under. Soon she was surrounded by Boggans but she decided to fight. She jumped up and then slammed back down, sending the Boggans back into the water. From the lily pad Queen Tara called for a tree vine to lift her off the the lily pad and away from the lake.

She fell down onto nearby plants and continued to run away from the Boggans. As she ran the leaves for plants over lapped each other to protect the Queen from the Boggans airborne attacks. She saw Leafmen falling down from the trees above and quickly glanced over her shoulder as she saw them fighting for her protection.

Her breathing was becoming harder as she felt the forest dying around her. She knew the Boggans were out numbering her men but she need to continue to run. She suddenly stopped in her tracks when she came face to face with a Boggan. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a flower Jinn, Dandelion, holding back a lose root. The Queen ducked as the flower Jinn let go and knocked the Boggan unconscious. The Queen looked at the flower Jinn and cracked a grin.

"Nice one, you're stealing my moves kid." The Queen said, trying to stay up beat. They continued to run away from the hundreds of Boggans chasing the Queen.

"Your Majesty!" A leafman on his hummingbird shouted out. "Come with me." The leafman said. Already the leafman had the flower Jinn's mother on his saddle. The Queen thought it more important to get the flower Jinn girl out of dangers way first.

"Take her to safety. I have to led them away from the crowd." The Queen said as she veered away the leafman.

"You're totally my hero." The flower Jinn girl shouted out. The Queen cracked a smile as she ran away. The leafman couldn't say anything but follow the Queen's orders.

The Queen jumped from leaf to leaf to flower to flower, finally to ran onto a tree branch but soon ran out of tree. She jumped off the tree when she spotted her General on his hummingbird. General Ronin caught the Queen with ease. Not to far off behind them was Tarina on her hummingbird.

"Okay, so maybe you were right?" The Queen panted out. General Ronin smirked.

"Reminded me to gloat later." The Queen ha a small smile on her face but was cut short when a Boggan arrow flew past, inches from her face. General Ronin turned around and saw Mandrake and his son flying towards them. Mandrake shot his arrow first, which General Ronin deflected with ease. Mandrake's son shot the second arrow. General Ronin grabbed a hold of the arrow spun around and knotted it into his bow. He aimed for Mandrake's son and didn't miss. But Mandrake had aimed his arrow at the Queen.

"Son, No!" Mandrake said after he released the third and final arrow. When General Ronin turned around all he saw was Queen Tara falling. She had her arm stretched out for him to grab but he was too late. She was far out of his reach. Tarina had seen everything.

She kicked her bird to go faster, trying to catch up with the Queen but the wind and lighting was against her and her General. She was trying to control her bird in the strong wind that threatened to knock her down. She saw the Queen's figure lying on the ground but her vision was suddenly blocked when a Stomper, with red hair and a purple jacket, leaned over the injured Queen. But the Queen was soon cut completely out of her vision as the nearby trees closed the opening.

Soon a stronger wind blew her off of her course. She couldn't see what was happening. But just as sudden as the strong wind had started, it stopped. Tarina was able to perch her bird and dismount. She was about half a yard away from the Queen and what looked to be the Stomper, but smaller.

* * *

"You need a doctor." The Stomper said frantically. "Somebody call-. What is this thing?" The Stomper asked as the Pod wove its vines around the Stomper's fingers.

"It's the Life of the Forest." The Queen said weakly. The Boggan poison was setting into her bloodstream. She knew she would soon be gone. Her spirit would join the Forest.

Just at that moment, Leafmen jumped down from all over. They stepped closer to their dying Queen. The former Stomper, not know who they were, gathered the Queen in her arms, trying to protect her. Tarina gasped softly when she spotted the arrow sticking out of Queen Tara's abdomen.

"Tara!" The General's voice called out, full of worry. He didn't wait for his bird to be properly perch. He jumped off his bird and threw off his helmet, not caring where it landed, and ran over to take his beloved in his arms once more. His hands supported her back and her head and with her last strength she managed a weak smile and said.

"So serious," With her final breath as she tried to look into her beloved's eyes. General Ronin shook his head as he knew what was happening, they all did. General Ronin pulled the Queen closer and rested his forehead against her own. He slowly rocked them back and forth. He was breaking down inside but didn't know how to show it. He didn't want to show it.

General Ronin, along with the few Leafmen that were with him, watched as the Queen's body materialized into an essences that was soon gathered by the wind and carried away. They watched the former Queen's essences drift away and then keeled down in front of where the Queen had died. A spot where the Boggan's arrow had now rotted the grass away.

Lieutenant General Finn was the first one to stand up. He looked down at his still kneeling friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. General Ronin was the last one to stand up. Tarina looked at her General with pure concern and worry.

"I'm so sorry." The Stomper said. General Ronin sighed before looking up at the former Stomper.

"What did she say to you?" General Ronin asked.

"Something about glue? Or a canoe?" The Stomper said, very confused. She hadn't really caught the name that the Queen had told her.

"Nim Galuu." General Ronin said, perking up slightly.

"The Scroll Keeper." Lieutenant General Finn said walking up behind his friend.

"We don't know anything about the Pod with out Tara. Maybe he does." General Ronin said turning back to his second-in-command. "Take the Leafmen to Moonhaven. Fortify it. Keep everyone safe." He ordered. Lieutenant General Finn looked at his General.

"What about you?" Lieutenant General Finn asked. General Ronin could see the true that laid in his friend's eyes.

"Mandrake will be looking for this Pod. But he won't be looking for a leafman traveling alone." General Ronin said, standing up straighter.

"That's not what I meant." Lieutenant General Finn objecting slightly. His friend placed a hand on his right shoulder.

"I know what you meant." General Ronin said, giving his friend a light pat. "I'll send word when I reach Nim's" General Ronin turned around to face the Stomper. Lieutenant General Finn nodded his head and jumped up onto a nearby leaf.

"Who are you people?" The Stomper asked as leafmen ran past her, some jumping back up to the trees others running towards their bird. Tarina mounted her bird and was about to fly away but she had to look back at the heartbroken General. Everyone knew of the relationship between the General and the Former Queen, it was quiet obvious, but she never knew how much he loved the Queen until this night.

Shaking her head, Tarina pushed aside her thoughts and flew away.

"Is this some sort of reenactment, or some-," The stomped stopped mid-sentence as a bee flew by. "That's a big bug."

"No, it's about average actually." General Ronin said as he walked over to the Stomper.

"Then what? I'm tiny." The Stomper said as though she was joking. All of the sudden her face dropped, her eyes opened widened and she let out a gasp. "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, wha-"

""I'm not sure why the Queen brought you here either," General Ronin said walking towards the Stomper, whose hold became tighter around the Pod, as she backed away from him.

"No, no, no, nope. No." The Stomper girl continued to talk over the Jinn General.

"But she gave you that Pod; so your gonna have to come-." General Ronin was trying to explain things the best he could with the Stomper before she cut him off.

"Make me big." She demanded.

"Excuse me." General Ronin cried out in shock. Was this girl crazy? He thought.

"I'm not going anywhere until you make me big again." The Stomper girl said pulling the Pod away from the General.

"You know what I don't do magic." The General said in an exasperated voice. He was getting fed up with the Stomper girl. She didn't understand the severity of the situation she had just been pulled into.

"You can talk to Nim Galuu about that." The General said as he tried to pull the Pod out of the girl's arms. But the Pod, having already bonded with the Stomper girl, wrapped its roots around the girl's arm. "He might know something-"

"Might!" The girl shouted out. Her breathing had quickened and her heart was pounding against her chest. She just wanted to go home.

"Whoa whoa whoa, not so fast soldier boy." Mub interjected loudly, sticking his head in between the Stomper and the General's arms. "You do not yank on a Pod, especially when it's attached to something so lovely." Mub said smoothly as she looked over to the girl. The Stomper looked absolutely confused, terrified, but still confused.

"Talking snails." She muttered out as she looked at the 'bug'.

"Actually he's a snail." Mub said, jerking his head over to his friend. "I'm a slug. No shell over here baby." Mub rubbed his belly, freaking the girl out even more. "It's just slows me down." He said as crawled over to the girl as she took steps back, away from him.

"Ronin right? Head of the Leafmen," Grub asked nervously. "Big fan, I just- love what you do with your jaw. Yes that!" Grub exclaimed out. Grub cleared his throat and then stood up straight. "We are the official Pod care takers sir." Grub said, raising a hand to a salute.

"It can't survive without us." Mub said looking back over to the General. The girl, grateful for the small break from the slug, let out a sigh.

"We keep it moist." Grub interjected.

"Moist is what we do." Mub said, puffing out his chest. General Ronin looked at them, raising an eyebrow.

"You're kidding," The General said. "You're not kidding. Fine." The General's shoulder dropped and he let out a heavy sigh. He called out for his bird. Once the bird was perched he grabbed the slug, threw him onto the back of his bird and then followed the snail.

"Word of the Queen's passing will travel fast. We have to travel faster." The General looked over to the Stomper. "With all this extra weight we're gonna need another bird." He explained.

"Bird." The girl muttered. "Of course." She said shaking her head and scoffing at the idea of riding a bird.

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General Ronin and the girl, who's name as he had learned was M.K, along with the Pod's care takers were about half way up the river when she asked.

"By any chance, you don't happen to be a part of an advanced society of tiny people living in the woods, do you?"

General Ronin looked at her and then looked back at the Pod care takers. They had their tongues hanging out of their mouths, much like a dogs M.K noted, and looked like fools. General Ronin grunted.

"Some are more advance than others." He said before turning his attention back to flying his bird. M.K swallowed a lump down her throat. She didn't want to be here and yet she was, but why?

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**Please don't forget to leave a review if you liked the story. **


	3. Weathering the Coming Storm

**So I finally updated. So so sorry that I've been so slow. I've been really busy and distracted by new ideas for stories. I try and come back to finish the stories, like I have some to finish from two years ago, so please bare with me. Thank you so much.  
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**I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Third P.O.V**

"Stay here." General Ronin ordered. M.K and the Pod's Guardians didn't say anything but did as they were told. General Ronin walked inside to the Leafmen's Eastern Fort, looking for Tarina; Nod's best friend. He thought that if anyone knew where Nod was, then it would be her.

"Tarina," The General called out. Tarina looked over to the General. She had started to change out of her ceremonial uniform and back into her every day one. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her green tunic was tied up half way.

"Sir," Tarina greeted when she walked over to the General.

"I need to know where Nod is." The General half said, half demanded. Tarina opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She thought about it for a few more seconds. She had promised Nod that she wouldn't say anything but now she didn't know what to do.

"Sir I can't." Tarina said. The General sighed and looked down at the soldier.

"You can't or you won't." The General said getting annoyed with his own flesh and blood.

"Sir, I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone." Tarina said pressing her lips together in a thin line.

"I don't need you to tell me where he is. Just help me find him." General Ronin said. Tarina sighed.

"I'll be right back." Tarina said. She walked away to finish changing out of her uniform. Tarina was silently beating herself up. She knew that Nod didn't want anybody to find him, but Tarina knew how serious the situation was and so she thought that maybe he could forgive her later.

"I'll meet you outside sir." Tarina said. She had to saddle her bird first before she could lead him to where Nod was. General Ronin nodded his head.

A few minutes later Tarina joined General Ronin outside on the landing. She was surprised to see the Pod's Guardians and the Stomper on the General's bird.

"Sir," Tarina questioned. She looked between General Ronin and the Stomper.

"The Pod bonded to her. I have to take her with me." The General explained as he mounted his bird. Tarina nodded her head and mounted her bird. She took off first followed by General Ronin.

"Who is she?" The Stomper asked. The General didn't look back. He had to protect his daughter and the Pod. Two things that were in the middle of his heart. The Pod was the last thing he had of Tara and Tarina was the last thing he had of Tara and himself. He couldn't risk losing both in a single day.

"Tarina, a friend of the guy we're going to get." The General said as they continued to fly past the great trees in the forest. General Ronin and Tarina directed their birds to a branch as they got closer to a well know shady area.

"Tarina what are we doing here?" General Ronin asked. To an outsider, like M.K, the area they were in looked like any ordinary woods glade. But to the Jinns it was known as a place for shady racers.

"You wanted know where Nod was. He's here." Tarina said jerking her head in the direction the racers route was. General Ronin looked over to the racing route. He raised an eyebrow but shrugged and moved his bird down to the ground.

"Sir, please don't tell him I lead you to him." Tarina said. General Ronin slipped off of his bird and looked over to his own flesh and blood. He nodded his head. He walked his bird over to a nearly enclosed area, so no one would know that he was there.

"Stay here." General Ronin ordered Tarina, M.K, and the Pod's Guardians. M.K nodded her head, but the Guardians were too busy goofing off to hear the warning. General Ronin walked around the grounds, trying to find the entrance for the racers only. It wasn't hard to find it. Everyone was surrounding the entrance but was cut off by the security guards. General Ronin shook his head and he didn't want to bother with the crowd so he followed some works and snuck in the back way.

"Is that the best you got?" A voice coughed out. General Ronin was just around the corner and he instantly recognized the voice as Nod.

"How was that?" Another voice chimed in after another punch landed in a not so great lower region of the body.

"Better." A strained voice spoke out.

"Nod, you know I like you." General Ronin could see a rough shadow of a bullfrog stroking a tied up bird.

"Yeah, I like you too Mr. Bufo." General Ronin could make out Nod's shadow as the one laying on the ground. General Ronin couldn't help but smirking at Nod's current situation.

"And yet you don't what we agreed. We agreed that you would lose, but then you win." Mr. Bufo said glaring over at Nod, who was slowly getting up off the ground.

"I can't help it if I'm fast. You want me to lose you have to give me better competition." Nod talked back.

"It's called teamwork. Maybe if you understood that the leafmen wouldn't have kicked you out." Mr. Bufo said. General Ronin, who was still listening in on the private conversation, tried to hold back a laugh.

"They did not kick me out. I quit." Nod defended weakly. General Ronin rolled his eyes. 'Ever so stubborn.' General Ronin thought.

"Ha ha, I admire your independent spirit Nod. I miss that. Feed him to something. A snake would be good." Now General Ronin had to intervene.

"Nah snakes' would swallow you whole." General Ronin said as he walked through the entrance and saw Nod looking at him. Mr. Bufo, however, was glaring at the General. "Now if you put him in a hornet's nest, that's a show." General Ronin said with a slight smirk on his lips.

"Aw, look its Ronin defender of the weak, pooper of parties, here to ruin the fun." Mr. Bufo complained as he glared at the General. Mr. Bufo was walking off to the side, where the other racers he employed were.

"I didn't ruin all of it. I let you hit him." General Ronin reminded him.

"Twice." Nod said as he held up two fingers, his other hand still holding onto his stomach.

"Hop along now little froggy." General Ronin said as he glared down at the bullfrog. Mr. Bufo backed away slowly.

"Easy Ronin, it's a big forest out there; even the leafmen got to sleep." Mr. Bufo said as he tightened his jacked and turned away.

"Come on." One of the racers said as they walked out on General Ronin and Nod. Nod finally reverted to him old self.

"You're wasting your time. I'm not coming back." Nod said as he walked past the General to untie his bird.

"I'm not asking." General Ronin said as he glared off to the side as Nod walked past.

"Oh I see the old reverse psychology." Nod said as he turned around to look at the aging General. "Make me feel guilty, get me to beg you." Nod's tone was all to cocky for the General's liking.

"I didn't come for you." The General nearly spat out at the young boy. "The Queen is dead." The General said in a more serious tone.

"What? How?" Nod asked, completely surprised. He was very shocked. He could've sworn that the Queen was still alive when he last saw her.

"Boggan ambush." General Ronin said in a serious voice with a slight pained undertone.

"Ronin I- I, I don't know what to say. I'm... She was your-, I'm sorry." Nod said. Everyone knew how much the Queen meant to the General. It was obvious, though they never said anything about their relationship other than her being the Queen and him the General; it was obvious for everyone else.

"What's going to happen to us? To the forest?" Nod asked. General Ronin's face grew stern. They had walked into the bird's perch room. The sun shone down on the two but didn't reach the hidden figure in the doorway behind them.

"If we don't get the Pod to Nim Galuu's the forest will die." General Ronin said to Nod as he looked up at the birds and then walked back to the entrance.

"Let me grab my saddle." Nod said over his shoulder.

"What?" General Ronin huffed out. "No I didn't ask for your help." General Ronin said lamely.

"Really cause it sounds like you could use a rider with my-" Nod started to say but was cut off by General Ronin's voice.

"Ability to absorb punches. The situation is desperate, let's not make it hopeless." General Ronin said a little snarky.

"Alright, well whose with you?" Nod asked placing his hands on his hips. "Who's riding point?" General Ronin was about to answer the question but was interrupted by distant laughter that soon grew louder. The two leafmen looked over to the entrance and saw General Ronin's bird hopping into the room with the Pod's Guardians still on her back and M.K sliding off to the side and then appearing to hang upside down.

"Get your saddle." General Ronin says over his shoulder were as Nod at the same time says.

"I'll get my saddle."

"How'd you find me?" Nod asked but before the General could answer Nod's question Tarina ran through the entrance out of breath.

"Sorry sir, I turned my back for one second and they were gone. I- it was my fault." Tarina said, slightly out of breath. She looked at the General and then noticed her friend. Tarina bit down on her lip.

"So this is how you found me, huh." Nod said. He wasn't angry at his friend just annoyed. Tarina opened her mouth to protest Nod's statement but the General spoke before her.

"Don't blame this on her. I ordered her. If anything, it's me you should be mad at." General Ronin said, defending his kin. Nod didn't say anything but looked back over to his friend and shook his head. Tarina took this as a sign that he was mad at her and she thought that he had every right to be mad at her. She had promised him and she broke the promise.

"Why do you want me back anyways?" Nod asked as eh tightened the saddle on his bird.

"I don't. I just needed another bird." General Ronin said trying to block off Nod's statement, which was completely true.

"You had Tarina. Why not take hers'?" Nod asked raising an eyebrow. General Ronin sighed. He was running out of excuses.

"A humming bird wouldn't be able to hold the weight of a Jinn, slug, and a snail. Let alone two Jinns. My bird could barely make it here with all four of us on him." General Ronin said. Nod held up his hand in surrender.

"Alright, sorry I asked." Nod said. Tarina shook her head as she watched her best friend and her superior bicker. She didn't know what they were doing or what she would do. Now that General Ronin had Nod's bird was she free to go back to her post or would the General still need her.

"Sir, do you still need me?" Tarina asked as she poked her head around her bird to look the General in the eyes. General Ronin looked between her and Nod and then shook his head. Tarina nodded her head and mounted her bird. She looked over her shoulder once more to see that everything was alright before she pulled out of the hollowed tree trunk stables.

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